'Hands Up, Don't Shoot': Nelly leads massive stadium protest

St. Louis native Nelly has the crowd at a celebrity flag football game stand up and protest Ferguson shooting with "Hands Up, Don't Shoot" chant.

MikeMose/YouTube

St. Louis native Nelly took to the field during a celebrity flag football game hosted by Chris Brown and Quincy Combs over the weekend. He asked the entire crowd to take part in the "Hands Up, Don't Shoot" movement that is sweeping the nation. On Monday, Billboard reported that the crowd stood up with Nelly and actively participated in the movement which has become symbolic of Michael Brown's last moments.

Photo by Daniel Boczarski

Micheal Brown was shot by Ferguson, Missouri police on August 9. While accounts of what truly happened in those last moments are mixed, the incident has ignited outrage among those who champion civil rights. The community of Ferguson has been in turmoil since the shooting of the unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown.

As with the tragedy of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown's death has become symbolic of the disparaging treatment to many young black men in America. The "Hands Up, Don't Shoot" movement swept the internet as many people have taken pictures of themselves with hands up and the message scrawled on a piece of paper.

Nelly's involvement in this tragic cause was expected, being that he is a proud St. Louis native. The way he went about it was powerful as he took to the field wearing a black t-shirt with the message "#MikeBrown" printed in white. That and many other Ferguson-related hashtags have been dominating Twitter since the shooting.

Nelly has been very vocal about the Ferguson shooting over the last several days. While he certainly supports the movement to end police violence on black men, Nelly has spoken out about the protesters too. He supports an organized effort to make changes and not the violence and looting that have been taking place. Nelly told TMZ, ""I understand the frustration, but we have to strategize before we overreact ... We don’t get no do-over on sh*t like this, so we have to do it right the first time."

Many other entertainers have joined the movement to end the violence in Ferguson and the rest of the country. Some heavy hitters who have voiced their opinion include T.I., Kevin Hart, Al Jefferson, Keke Palmer, Cedric the Entertainer and many more.

Share this article

Shaunee is a celebrity publicist and an entertainment writer. Stay tuned for the latest celeb gossip and news. If you have any questions, comments or if you have tips, please email her at shauneesworkemail@gmail.com.